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second-guessing

verb

present participle of second-guess
1
as in outguessing

Related Words

Relevance
2
as in reasoning

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-guessing
  1. balking
  2. reasoning
  3. overreaching
  4. analyzing
  5. outmaneuvering
  6. reviewing
  7. outsmarting
  8. exploring
Verb
  • Several budget hawks and conservative economists are already balking at the idea – a bad sign when just a few Republicans in either chamber can, until the voting margins change, tank pretty much any measure.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Many residents are balking at that timing and at Ryan’s lawsuit against Killingly’s wetlands board for rejecting the first version of the plan on July 6.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of balking
Verb
  • Backwards reasoning like this reminds me of Adlai Stevenson’s presidential campaign 70 years ago.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • In an interview, Colin Marshall, an ethics professor and author of a new book on persuasion, argues that ethical persuasion begins with treating people as reasoning partners rather than psychological systems to be managed.
    — Eben Harrell, Harvard Business Review, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of reasoning
Verb
  • While most judges have categorized such requests as overreaching or for an improper purpose, two out of three judges on the panel ruled that there was nothing out of line about the QueerDoc request.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Republican lawmakers disagree, saying that the approval is just another example of an overreaching government.
    — Tom Wait, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of overreaching
Verb
  • Hunschofsky, the new leader of House Democrats, emphasized how Republican leaders spent virtually no time analyzing the implications of Amendment 3.
    — Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the new instructional technology task force met for the first time at the start of the month to begin analyzing current practices, along with gathering research and feedback.
    — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of analyzing
Verb
  • The characters' abilities are built around outmaneuvering, not outgunning.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • May built one of the most dominant teams in Big Ten history by outmaneuvering his peers in the transfer portal.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of outmaneuvering
Verb
  • Authorities are also reviewing the SUV’s event data recorder to determine Rios’ speed, braking and acceleration in the seconds before the deadly crash.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • After reviewing a detailed analysis from the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, Bedrock says without that support, the project doesn't work financially.
    — Elaine Rojas-Castillo, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of reviewing
Verb
  • The problem, according to Hinton, is that humans will no longer be able to rely on outsmarting super-intelligent AI models.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The Fan, the season-long unsub obsessed with one-upping and outsmarting his idol.
    — Joyce Eng, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026
Definition of outsmarting
Verb
  • Suzhou MoCA has kicked off operations with an exhibition featuring works by Pablo Picasso that influenced artists across Europe, as well as a show curated by BIG exploring how diverse materials shape the studio's approach to structural design.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026
  • After an incredible day exploring Bimota’s unique vision for the KB998 Rimini at Laguna Seca, trying to comprehend how well the Elite version rides on track takes some fantastic leaps of imagination.
    — Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of exploring
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

second-guesses
second-guessing
secondhand
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Cite this Entry

“Second-guessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-guessing. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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